Lock-switch



S. F. BRIGGS AND E. N. JACOB].

LOCK SWITCH.

1,377,145. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1916. Patented May 3, 1921' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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S. F. BRIGGS AND E. N. JACOBIL' LOCK SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 1916.

1,377,145. Patented May 3,1921

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- mnl \inw

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S. F. BRIGGS AND E. N. JA-COBI. LOCK SW ITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1916.

1,377,145. Patented May 3, 1921. v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W/ 77:43am (/VI/E/VTIFI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN F. BRIGGS AND EDWARD N. JACOBI, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

ASSIGNORS TO BRIGGS & STRATTON COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCON- SIN, A. CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

LOCKSWITOH.

Toall whomet may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN F. Bnrecs and EDWARD N. J AGOBI, citizens of the United States, and residents of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lock-Switches, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to. provide a lock switch for automobiles and the like, controlled by a key which is normally removed from the switch but which may be inserted and turned to lock or unlock the switch, the turning movements of the key causing longitudinal movements of 'a plunger to engage and disengage a locking means for a rotary switch member controlling the lighting circuits, and also serving to engage and disengage switch contacts for controlling the ignition circuit whereby the turning of the key in the lock to unlock the switch releases the switch member and permits it to be changed from one position to another and renders the ignition circuit operative, but the turning of the key in the lock to lock the switch prevents the change in position of the switch and renders the ignition circuit inoperative, thus preventing unauthorized use of the automobile or a tampering with the lights thereof.

Another object of the invention is to perfect details of construction whereby the switch, when locked, may not be unlocked except by the use of a proper key, and whereby the switch may be simplified in its construction to render it inexpensive to manufacture though eflicient and durable in use.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the lock switch as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the different views,

Figure 1 is a front view of a lock switch constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view thereof with the key removed and the switch locked;

Fig. 4 is a similar view thereof on a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3, part being broken away;

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented May 3, 1921..

Application filed January 17,1916. Serial No. 72392.

Fig.5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 wlth the key in place and the switch unlocked;

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the switch with the switch base removed and the switch member in the off position;

Fig. 7 is a similar view with the switch member in the on position;

Fig. 8 is a similar view with the switch member in the dim position;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the switch base;

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the switch member with the. cam operated plunger in place;

Fig. 11 is a similar view thereof with the plunger removed;

Fig. 12 is a detail view of the key and its slide tumblers;

Fig. 13 is a bottom plan view of the switch handle; 1

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the plunger cam; and,

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the spacer.

In these drawings 15 indicates a front plate in which is rotatably mounted a switch handle 16, preferably in the form of a turn button, as shown, to constitute a pointer indicating the position of the switch by being directed toward corresponding designations on the front plate. A. cup-shaped casing 17 mounted on the back of the front plate is closed by an insulating switch base 18 which is secured in place by screws 19, and an insulating disk 20 within the casing is secured to the switch handle 16 by screws 21 so as to turn therewith, a stop lug 22 which projects from the edge of the casing 17 into an areshaped recess 23 of the insulating disk 20 serving to limit the movement of the switch handle by engaging the shoulders at the ends of said recess. The insulating disk 20 forms a switch member by having secured to it a metal switch spider 24, preferably in duplicate, with its radially extending spring arms bearing at their convex ends against the insulating base 18 and fitting in recesses or cavities 25 therein in the different positions of the switch. Some of the cavities 25 are formed in metal studs 26 which pass through the insulating base 18 and form binding posts on the rear thereof. One of the binding posts is ada ted for connection with the battery, while t e other binding posts have a resistance element 27 connected between them and are adapted to be connected respectively to the rear lights and the head-' lights, and the arms of the switch spider 24 are so arranged that in the off position of the switch no connection is made between the battery terminal and the others, but in the dim position connection is made between the battery terminal and the rear light terminal so that the taillight and headlights will be lighted, but the headlights will be dimmed because of their circuit including the resistance element 27, and inthe on position of the switch the battery terminal will be connected directly with the headlight terminal as well as the rear light terminal,

. ings irregularly positioned to correspond 30. When the key is in place,

with the irregular outline of the opposite edges of the key 30 when the key is in place in the lock, as shown in Fig. 12, thus being contained within the confines of the barrel 28 when properly positioned by the key so that the lock barrel may be turned by the key. At diametrically opposite parts of the bore through the switch handle are recesses 32 into which the tumbler slides 31'may project in order that the key may be withdrawn, and in one of these recesses is mounted a leaf spring 33 which bears on the tumbler slides to force them to project into the opposite recesses when the key is withdrawn, thus preventing the turning of the barrel 28, It is obvious that barrel 28 can only be turned I when the tumbler slides are moved to the relative positions shown in Fig. 12 and this may only be accomplished by inserting the key however, the lock barrel 28 is free to be turned thereby though such turning movements are limited bya suitable stop so that the lock barrel is in position to have the key removed in either extreme of its turning movement. This stop is formed by a lug 34 bent up from the edge of a cam plate 35 which is secured to the end of the lock barrel 28 by means of screws 36 and the stop lug 34 is adapted to engage shoulders 37 on the switch handle 16 to limit the movements of the lock barrel.

The cam plate 35 has a pair of arc-shaped tongues 38 cut from its opposite edges and bent downwardly therefrom to form helical cams, and a plunger member 39 which slidably fits within a central opening through the insulating disk 20 has similar helical cams 40 secured thereto and engaging the helical cams 38 to cause a longitudinal movement of the plunger through the insulating disk 20 when the lock barrel is turned by the key. The plunger is kept from turning by the presence of guide lugs 41 on'the cams 40 which slide in guide grooves 42 in the switch handle 16. The helical cams 40 are formed in a disk-like stamping with its edges cutv to produce oppositely extending curved tongues spaced from a central portion 43, but united therewith at one end by raidal arms 44, and resembling somewhat the shape of the letter S. In order to support the lock barrel 28 in a convenient manner a spacer is provided in the form of a sheet metal disk 45 with radial arms 46 bent down therefrom in the manner shown in Fig. 15 and bearing on the insulating disk 20, said arms straddling the radial connecting arms 44 of cams 40 and passing through the spaces between said cams and the central portion 43 which is riveted to the plunger, as best seen in Fig. 10. The cam plate 35 rests on the top 45 of the spacer, as shown in Fig. 4, while the upper end of the plunger is free to rise within the spacer as shown in Fig. 3. 4

The lower end of the plunger 39 is provided with an insulating tip 47 to engage a spring locking member 48 which is secured to the switch base 18 by a pair of screws 49 and is preferably reinforced by a steel spring 50 also secured by said screws and bearing against the bottom of the locking member. The outer. end of the springlock- Thus, in any of the positions of the switch.

handle the turning of the key in the lock to unlock the switch causes the helical cams 38 and 40 to cooperate with each other in forcing the plunger 30 downwardly to depress the locking member 48 out of the path of travel of the locking pins 53 so that the switch handle is free to be turned as desired. Also, in any position of theswitch handle the turning of the key in the lock to lock the switch causes the cofiperation of the helical cams 38 and 40 to permit the plunger 39 to rise under-the pressure of the spring locking member 48 and thus engage the ends of the spring locking member with 0ne 0r the other or both of the lockingpins ing a binding 53, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, to lockthe switch handle against further movement.

The spring switch contact 51 is mounted on a metal stud 54: which passes through the insulating base 18 and forms a binding post for connection with the magneto, and said contact spring, when relieved of the pressure from the locking member 18, springs upwardly into engagement with an overhanging contact 55 formed by cutting a notch in the side of another stud 56 passing through the insulating base and also formost for connection with a ound wire. enever the switch is unlocked the plunger 39 is in its depressed position and consequently the spring contact 51 is held out of engagement with contact 55, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the magneto ignition circuit is efiective for operating the engine, but whenever the switch is locked the plunger is in its raised position, shown in Fig. 3, and the spring contact 51 engaging the contact 55 maintains a ground connection on the magneto which renders .the ignition circuit ineffective and prevents the operation of the engine. Obviously the connections with the binding posts 54 and '56 may be reversed or the contact 55 may be arranged to be engaged by the spring contact 51 only whenthe latter is depressed by the plunger, and thereby adapt the switch for use with battery ignition where the ignition switch is required to be closed to render the ignition circuit operative.

The switch of this invention is small and compact, and neat in its appearance, and

still it is effective for the purpose intended and is strong and durable. The lock is of such a construction that it is impossible for the switch to be tampered with either to render the ignition'circuit o erative in order to run the en he, or to c ange the connections for the llghts.

What we claim as new and desire to cure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lock switch, a rotary switch handle, a lock barrel rotatably mounted therein, tumblers carried by the lock barrel for engaging the switch handle to prevent the turning of the lock barrel, a key fitting in the lock barrel to withdraw the tumblers from en agement with the switch handle to permit t e lock barrel to be turned by means of the key, a locking member for preventing the turning of the switch handle moved into and out of its operative position by the turning of the lock barrel and a switch operated by the turning of the lockbarrel.

2. A ock switch, comprising handle, a lock for locking the switch handle in its different positions, a key for operating the lock and removable therefrom in either the locking or unlocking position of the lock and a switch operated by the lock. 3. A lock switch, comprising a switch a switch,

handle, a tumbler controlled lock barrel rotatably mounted therein, a cam operated plunger for locking the switch member and.

a switch operated by the movements of the plunger.

5. A lock switch, comprising a switch handle, a key controlled lock member rotatably mounted therein, a switch member carried by the switch handle, a plunger slidably mounted therethrough, a helical cam on the lock member engaging the plunger for causing the plunger to slide through the switch member, and means for locking the switch member engaged bythe plunger.

6. In a lock switch, a rotatably mounted switch handle, a key controlled lock member rotatably mounted therein, a switch member carried by the switch handle, a plunger slidably mounted through the switch member, cooperating helical cams on the plungerand the locking member respectively forcausing the plunger to slide when the looking member is turned, and means for locking the switch member engaged by the plunger.

7. A lock switch, comprising a switch handle, a key controlled lock member rotatably mounted therein, -'a switch member carried by the switch handle, a plunger slidably mounted therethrough, coiiperating helical cams on the plunger and the lock member respectively whereby the plunger is moved by the turnin of the lock member, and a switch operated y the movements of the plunger.

8. A lock switch, comprising a switch handle, a lock barrel rotatably mounted therein, key controlled tumblers on the lock barrel for engaging the switch handle, a switch member carried by the switch handle, a plunger slidably mounted therein, a slotted spacer resting on the switch member and supporting the lock barrel, a helical cam on the lock barrel, a helical cam on the plunger projecting through the slots of the spacer and engaging the helical cam of the lock barrel whereby the plunger is moved by the turnin of the lock barrel, and a" spring actuate locking member for locking 9. A lock switch, comprising a casing, a switch handle rotatably mounted therein, a key controlled lock member in the switch handle, "a switch member carried by the switch handle, a plunger passing there 130 the switch member engaged by the plunger. 3

through, a helical cam connecting the lock member "with the plunger for causing the plunger to be moved by the turning movements of the lock member, a switch base se cured to the casing and having contacts engaged by the switch member, a spring actuatedlocking member on the switch base engaged by the plunger, and stops on the switch member engaged by the locking memher for locking the switch against turning.

10. A lock switch, comprising a casing, a switch handle rotatably mounted thereon, a key controlled lock member in the switch handle, a switch member carried by the switch handle, a plunger slidably fitting in the switch member, means "for sliding the plunger by the turning movements of the lock member, a switch base secured to the casing, having contacts engaged by the switch member, a spring locking member mounted on the base and engaged by the lock member, a switch base Secured to thecasing and having contacts engaged by the switch member, a spring locking member mounted on the base and engaged by the plunger, a stop on the switch member engaged by the spring locking member, a sprin contact on the base engaged and move by the spring locm'ng member when the latter is depressed, and a stationary concontrolled by the removable handle whereby the supplementary switch is unlocked and locked by the attachment and removal of the removable handle, and the other switch is locked and unlocked by the turning of the removable handle.

A. A lock switch mechanism including a removable key, one switch unlocked by inserting the key and operated by turning the key, another switch unlocked by turning the key, and a handle for operating said other switch.

15. A lock switch, comprising a switch and its handle, a member rotatably mounted on the handle and provided with a key opening, locking means for the switch operated by the turning of the member, a supplemental switch operated by the turning of the member, and key-controlled means for locking the member and the handle when the key is removed. l

lln testimony whereof, we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

F, BRIGGS. EDWARD N, JACOBL \Vl/itnesses:

KATHERINE Horn, RS. C. CALDWELL.

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